[International] China Suspected of Retaliatory Arrests of Over 100 Filipinos; Philippine Defense Secretary Denounces as Extortion and Blackmail

Suspected of retaliating against the Philippine government's arrest of Chinese citizens allegedly violating laws within its borders, China has recently arrested over 100 Filipinos accused of illegal employment or residency. The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs has urged China to guarantee the rights of the arrested Filipinos, while the Department of National Defense has denounced China's actions as "extortion and blackmail." On the 10th, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Xiaojun announced that Chinese immigration authorities had launched a special operation, and over 100 Filipino citizens were processed according to law for illegal employment and illegal residency. The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs stated late on the 13th that it had noted the Chinese Foreign Ministry's remarks and was closely coordinating with the Philippine Embassy in Beijing to ascertain the background of China's arrests, the status and exact number of arrested Filipinos, and to provide consular assistance and safeguard their legitimate legal rights. The statement emphasized that the Philippines respects China's sovereign right to enforce its immigration laws, just as the Philippines has the right to handle foreigners within its territory according to law, but stressed that due process must be followed. In mid-May, Philippine law enforcement agencies raided a steel factory, arresting 70 Chinese citizens accused of working illegally. The Chinese Embassy at the time claimed that subsequent investigations found these Chinese individuals possessed valid work documents, criticizing the legality and fairness of the Philippine enforcement action. The industrial park where the steel factory is located is supervised by the Philippine Department of National Defense, and Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. has consistently taken a strong stance against the Chinese government on the South China Sea issue. The "Philippine Chinese Daily" quoted sources reporting that China's wave of arrests is a "counterattack" against the Philippine factory's enforcement action and "anti-China forces" like Teodoro, stating that Teodoro's "anti-China adventure will be paid for by the Filipino people." Sources told the "Philippine Chinese Daily" that this operation is a warning, and China is studying further countermeasures. They also mentioned that approximately 200,000 Filipinos work in Hong Kong and Macau, many of whom engage in activities inconsistent with their entry purposes. Compared to the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs, the Philippine Department of National Defense's response was more assertive. Defense Secretary Teodoro issued a statement describing China's arrests of Filipinos as clear "extortion and blackmail" and strongly condemned China for using this as a pressure tactic. Teodoro explained that while the Philippines has taken enforcement actions against Chinese citizens recently, these were carried out based on court-issued search warrants, and those arrested were the main responsible individuals of the related illegal enterprises. He questioned why China emphasized the legality of their work visas and passports while failing to directly address the illegal activities they were involved in. He stressed that as long as Chinese citizens in the Philippines are not involved in illegal activities such as fraud, they will receive the same treatment as other law-abiding foreigners. (Editor: Liu Xianghua)